RUBEN LAMEIRAS

Full Name: Ruben Barcelos De Sousa Lameiras

Born: 22 December 1994

Came from: Coventry City   Went to: Famalicao (Portugal)

First game: 05 August 2017   Last game: 04 May 2019

Appearances: 82 (60/22)   Goals: 18

An attacking midfielder with the ability to play on the flanks or behind the forward line, Lameiras became Derek Adams second summer signing in early June 2017, as the club prepared for its return to the third tier.

Born in Lisbon in Portugal, Lameiras moved to England at the age of ten, and six years later joined Tottenham Hotspur's Academy, signing professional terms in 2014. After featuring for Spurs' under-21 side, he left White Hart Lane in March 2015 to join Swedish top flight side Åtvidabergs, for whom he played eleven times. That summer he returned to England to join Coventry City, having impressed in a two-week trial.

Lameiras scored seven times in 69 appearances across two seasons for the Sky Blues, including a start in the 2017 Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium. After the West Midlands club's relegation to the fourth tier for the first time in 58 years, perhaps the 22-year-old's slight build was a factor in its decision not to offer him a new contract, giving the opportunity to Derek Adams for a vote of confidence on 2017's general election day.

He made his Argyle debut in August 2017 as a late substitute for Jake Jervis in a 2-1 loss at Peterborough United, and afterwards he was praised by his midfield partner Graham Carey. His silky skills certainly took some of the pressure off Carey and allowed both players to flourish, and it came as no surprise that in May 2019, he was awarded the Argyle Player of the Season award following a career-best campaign in his second season as a Pilgrim, having netted 11 times and providing nine assists in League One. He was offered a new contract by Argyle at the end of the 2018-19 season but much to the disappointment of many, declined it in order to return to Portugal.

After his two seasons in Devon, his return to his homeland landed him at newly-promoted to Primeira Liga side Famalicão, with whom he signed a four-year contract in June 2019. He made his debut in August in the team's first top-flight game for 25 years, going on to make 39 appearances and scoring six goals across two seasons.

However, in January 2021 he joined fellow Primeira Liga side Vitória SC on a three-and-a-half year deal, agreeing a contract with a €50 million release clause. Lameiras played his first game in European competition in July 2022, scoring a fourth minute opener in a 3-0 win over Hungary's Puskás Akadémia at the Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques in the second Qualifying Round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. He went on to make 77 appearances and score six goals for the club across three seasons.

In August 2023, Vitória SC announced that Lameiras' contract had been terminated by mutual agreement, allowing him to join fellow Primeira Liga club Chaves on a one-year deal. In a sign of modern times, Vitória kept 50% of the player's economic rights.